1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an erosion control system for reducing erosion and, more particularly, to a system for reducing shoreline erosion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Property located adjacent bodies of water is particularly desirable. One problem associated with shoreline property, however, is the tendency of the body of water to erode the shoreline. If not addressed, over time, a substantial amount of property may be lost. Additionally, shoreline erosion can reduce animal habitats, increase turbidity and add much undesired sediment to the water. If the shoreline includes elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus, shoreline erosion can lead to an increase in algae and noxious plants.
While techniques are known in the art for reducing shoreline erosion, all such techniques have certain drawbacks. Woven mats, called turf reinforcement mats, are often provided over areas susceptible to erosion. The mats are typically large flexible mats constructed of plastic webbing. The open weave of the webbing allows for the growth of vegetation between the woven fibers of the mats, locking the mats in place and mechanically reducing energy associated with runoff water. The combination of the mechanical stable structure and open weave design results in a significant synergistic effect, with the capacity to carry much greater velocity and sheer force load because roots and stems associated with the upgrowing vegetation are reinforced by the mat. While turf reinforcement mats convey large flows of water and withstand designated loads in non-shoreline applications, the force of constant wave motion, especially in sloped applications, may cause turf reinforcement mats to fail, especially prior to vegetation growing through and locking the mats in place. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a system for reducing shoreline erosion that provided a high degree of shoreline erosion control immediately, even before vegetation has a chance to assist in the erosion control process.
It is also known in the art to provide stacks of large rocks or “rip rap” over smaller rocks which are, in turn, placed over a shoreline geotextile layer. The smaller rocks act as a drainage layer, enabling water to flow back into the body of water with less erosive force. While rip rap is indeed effective at reducing erosion, it can be unsightly. Additionally, a significant weight and volume of material must be freighted to the site and a large amount of preparatory work is typically required before installing rip rap. Moreover, in steep applications, rip rap tends to roll into the water over time and must be continually replaced. Rip rap also may damage watercraft contacting the rocks, or being dashed against the rocks by waves after the watercraft has been moored. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a lightweight system for controlling shoreline erosion which requires less costly and time-consuming maintenance.
Like riprap, articulated concrete blocks (ACB) can be used to reduce erosion. Although ACB may allow for the use of less material, the weight of ACB is still substantial, increasing transportation and installation costs. Additionally, ACB can be unaesthetic in appearance. ACB may also damage watercraft coming into contact with the ACB. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a lightweight system for controlling shoreline erosion which is more aesthetically appealing and presented less of a hazard to watercraft.
Wetlands may also be employed to buffer a shoreline against storms and to physically hold the soil in place. Wetlands require a large “buffer zone” between the land and the water, and may often require a substantial amount of time before they have reached maximum erosion control efficacy. Wetlands are not particularly well suited for private property shorelines experiencing large amounts of human traffic and/or watercraft mooring. Wetlands and other types of vegetative armor are also not well suited to steeply sloped shorelines, where it may be difficult to prevent runoff and wave action from washing the vegetation away. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a shoreline erosion control system which is immediately effective and which does not require a large amount of “buffer” between the shore and the water to be effective.
Other physical barriers, constructed of wood, concrete or the like are known to reduce erosion even in steeply sloped areas. Such structures, however, are often expensive, and time consuming to construct, often requiring a caisson or similar structure to be built before construction can begin on the actual structure itself. Such structures are also costly and time consuming to maintain, and can be unaesthetically appealing. The high costs of labor and materials associated with such erosion abatement systems, often makes them undesirable from an economic standpoint. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a shoreline erosion control system which is of a low cost manufacture and is quick and easy to install.
It would be desirable to provide a system and method for reducing shoreline erosion which is of a low-cost, lightweight manufacture. It would also be desirable that such a system and method be easy to install and maintain. Such a system and method would also preferably be aesthetically pleasing and not pose a threat of serious damages to watercraft. The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.